Thorns On My Rose: A Story of the Daughter of Robert Downey Jr. (EDITING)

Chapter 14 - A Crap Situation

Brenda Tollen' s Perspective

   “Dammit, Reed Tollen! Where the hell is my scuba gear?!" I yelled,searching through the big brown cardboard box it was usually inside of.

   My silly husband came lumbering into the room, wearing his pajamas still, scratching his chin and yawning. I turned to him and put my hands on my hips. “Well?"

   He frowned. “Dear, it's..." He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Dear, it's nine o' clock in the morning. The average teen isn't even up this early, Bren." He complained.

   I tapped my foot on the ground, panting a little from all the energy I'd just spent searching for the stuff. “Reed. Our flight to the Barbados leaves tomorrow morning at ten, and I need my damn scuba gear!"

   “Bren."

   “Did you use it last?" I ask, finally. I watch as Reed shakes his head, blinking sleepily.

   “Nope. What the hell would I need scuba gear for in New York?" I sigh, pulling my hair into a ponytail.

  “I've been up since six this morning trying to find that stuff because we have left it here before, and we both know it's not cheap to buy expensive stuff like that in foreign countries."

   He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

   God. I loved my dear husband, but I swear as he lost more and more weight and gained more and more muscle, I swear his brain cells were starting to turn into mush. He was sixty one years old. He was supposed to be getting wiser, not even more stupid.

   “Brenda. Honey, can we do this later maybe? I'm tired, you know those salsa lessons are hell for me, and I'm still sore from that horrible skydiving trip a few weeks ago!"

   I pulled open another box with a steak knife I had been using. “If you would stretch more, sweetheart, they wouldn't do as much damage."

   He rolled his eyes. “Okay. I think your gear may be in Rose's room." He said, watching my expression carefully.

    I felt the familiar stab of hurt and guilt when I heard my granddaughter's name. I didn't look at him, but could see him out the corner of my eye his gaze steady.

    I forced a smile and laughed. “I, um, I didn't even think to go in there." I finally looked up at him to see him smiling sadly.

    I put down the knife and tilted my head. “How do you think she's doing?" I asked Reed. He shook his head, closing his eyes.

    “I can't imagine. I can't. Ya know, she probably expected us to come and take her home after Chris passed... and I can't imagine what she thinks of us now. How she..." He shook his head, unable to finish.

   “Reed." I said, reaching for him. He didn't move, his eyes suddenly hard.

   “Don't." He warned quietly.

 

   But I couldn't stop. The words were tumbling out of my mouth so quickly. “I have already apologized, honey. I don't know what else to do! Why won't you talk to me about this?"

   He backed away from me. "No, Brenda! Dammit, no, I'm not talking about this with you."

   I put a hand on his shoulder. “Reed. It's what's best for her. She needs her father. We've had her for sixteen years. She deserves to meet him!" He turned his grey eyes on me, a hurt in them that was starting to cloud them more and more every time we talked about this.